Don't Promise (Don't 3)

He gripped my ass. “You think your parents can handle all three?”

I nodded. “We’ll get Ryan to pitch in again. He sent pictures of Grayson all day.”

“I like your ideas, Mrs. Thomas.”

“Say it again,” I whispered.

He shifted me so I was on top of him. His hard body still pulsing from sex. “Mrs. Thomas.”

He palmed my swelling belly. “I love you, Mr. Thomas.”

His arms circled me and I kissed him with every breath I had. “I love you, baby.”

“Can we stay on our honeymoon forever?” I asked.

We stared at the ceiling. Reality waited for us in Texas. We had two babies to make plans for. I had a feeling we couldn’t stay in the little blue cottage now with three children. We had the entire condo renovation to get through.

Cole threaded his fingers through mine. I looked at the solid band on his ring finger. I had chosen it the week he was gone.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” I whispered.

“We don’t have to.” He kissed my knuckles.

“But I want to know. I think I have to know what happened over there. I don’t even know why you came back a day late. You barely made the wedding.”

“It doesn’t matter. I made it. We’re married. Your dad is happy. Your mom is on cloud nine. The babies are safe and healthy.” He smiled.

“Cole, I know you went through it alone last time. But you aren’t alone any more. That’s what we’re about. Not having to do any of it alone ever again.”

He held me tightly. “I know. And I never want to go back. I don’t know how Ryan still does it.” I listened while he told me about the mission. While he explained how his Jeep was hit at the front tire by an explosive, but not enough to hurt anyone. Just enough to disable the vehicle.

He told me how he and the driver hiked ten miles without water to a station for help. And that it took another eight hours to finally make it to the base.

I listened in silence while he finally told me the details I never wanted to hear again. I held in the tears. He could have died. More than once.

The plane was delayed out of London, but that was nothing compared to what he had survived. I ran my fingers along his square jaw.

“Always came back to me.”

He nodded. “I will. I promise.”

Our bodies were tangled together. We talked about the wedding and everyone we had seen. We had taken so many pictures our faces hurt from smiling. I reminded Cole we had wedding gifts on top of Christmas presents to open when we flew back to South Padre.

“I didn’t know what I was walking into when I made it back, but your parents did throw an awesome wedding.”

“It was kind of perfect, wasn’t it?”

“At the end we said I do.”

“Yes, we did.”

He drew a circle on my belly. “For the rest of our lives, is fucking scary.”

I laughed. “You know what’s scarier? Twins.”

He laughed so hard, he jostled me off his chest. I looked at him and knew we were going to be ok. Better than ok. I’d always loved him. And I was going to love him the rest of my life.

Thank you so much for reading Don’t Promise. I love Cole and Kaitlyn’s journey so much. I hope you did too. In case you missed their beginning, you can catch them in Don’t Tell and Don’t Lie. (Links right here)